The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-04-30

and poverty, because they arc apt to have
been half starved. Once lii a while tho pub.
lic catch q mother In tho net of s,lrrcndering
her child to the cold world, That Is Il felony
md tho penalty Is severe. Sometimes one
o. these mothers rcprnis and seeks her babe
II 1t is not dead II Is returned to her. If It
lives three, years It Is sent to ore oftwo insti.
buttons to DO adopted by some one who up.
plies for boy or girl and gives good refer.
Home for tho Fricndlcss and tho Roman
Catholic Institution Of Mercy.
The New York Founding Asylum Is
world.famous rs the ilappicst md most nd
mirable haven that over a homeless baby
found It's way to. II Is $50 famous that babies
havo been brought to it from every State In
tho Union, and even from Europe. People
believe that once n baby is taken in there
II will DO reared with q caroalmost approach.
Ing that ofa mother in command or limit
less mems, experience. md love. How true
that Is, l don'tknow, but, I certainly mover
saw happier, hcalthier, cleaner OF brighter
when ! called unhenlded and was shown
through tho huge and beautiful building. &;t
Between tho inner and tho outer front
door Of misplace Of charity IL m ordinary.
wicker basket or crib, swinging between two
uprights and curtained with pink and white
muslin. Ordinary It Is, but only In appear
ance, for 1t Is hardly a question whether any
other receptacle ever hcldso many examples
Of microscopic humanity n this. Tho babies
that have been left In itby desperate mothers
would populate what would DO called acity.
In tho far West. There must have been
1900 to 1900 %foundlings In that crib by
Insisting. Two or three times a night the
door.bell rings ono Of tho two dozen sisters
u1;pu S1nUyp nnJ n mothnr 10 n1tNr,D1 10 ,,tnr
the vcstibulc. Often not q word Is spoken.
The sister looks on while tho. mother
puts her little one In the basket, #
the mother seems q decent girl or cries BIT
terly ut parting with her care the sister some
times urges her to try once again to care for
It herself. When tho asylum was first
opened D. young woman, who was wild with
grief, told u sister that she could not 70
home; even without the proof of her shame.
her parents had east her off. Tho sister
invited her to stay and care for her own
child. Tint precedent has often been fol-
lowed since, and now there arc alWuys many
mothers learning laundry work; learning
sewing, cooking md whatever there is to do.
Of cotlrse they arc often women who have
discarded virtue, and it has been found that
ing them out. to earn their living, proud of
the work they have been taught 70 perform.
The sisters say thnt it is surprising how
many Of these immoral women have never
learned anything useful; when taught how
to work they often take to it eagerly:
Thegood mother superior ct Mount St..
Vincent founded this asylum in 1860, tn a
little dwelling, in the month Of October. In
ono month thirteen babes were left at the
door, and by Christmas the number had in.
creased to 124. Now there arc always
about 900 on the lists of the asylum, 600 in
it and the rest kept out to nurse among
workingwomen at SO q month. at first It
seems like helping crime to keep u basket
like this one at the asylum always ready for
motherst to 60 to when they wish to abandon.
their offspring. But q moments reflection
shows you that this Is not so; that If q
mother is so constituted or so situated that
she can or must part with her baby, it is best
that the means be provided for her. There
are women whom nothing can force to this
dread alternative. They may be Obliged to.
have their little ones cared for In the day.
time Mt one Of the many "day-board-for.
babies establishments in the city, but when
work is done and home IS to be sought the.
loyal matron always takes her darling to her
breast. JULIAN RALPH.